Fibrous structures are a ubiquitous part of daily life. Fibrous structures are currently used in a variety of disposable articles including, but not limited to, feminine hygiene products, diapers, training pants, adult incontinence products, paper towels, sanitary tissue products and wipes. Disposable wipes comprised of fibrous structures are widely used by consumers to clean surfaces, such as glass and ceramic tile, as well as to clean the skin of children and adults. Pre-moistened or wet wipes made of fibrous structures are also known.
Wet wipes, such as baby wipes for example, should be strong enough when pre-moistened with a lotion to maintain integrity in use, but also soft enough to give a pleasing and comfortable tactile sensation to the user(s). In addition, wet wipes should have sufficient absorbency and porosity to be effective in cleaning the soiled skin of a user while at the same time providing sufficient barrier to protect the user from contacting the soil. Protecting the user from contacting the soil creates unique “barrier” demands for fibrous structures that can negatively affect both the fibrous structures' absorbency and lotion release. Moreover, wet wipes should have absorbency properties such that each wipe of a stack remains wet during extended storage periods but yet at the same time easily releases lotion during use.
Consumers of fibrous structures, especially baby wipes, require absorbency properties (such as absorption capacity) in their fibrous structures. In the past, some fibrous structures exhibit a relatively high level of absorbency capacity (about 10 g/g) which improves the lotion retention and uniform distribution of moisture in a stack of wipes over time. Other fibrous structures exhibit pore volume distributions that enable lower absorbency capacities (about 5 to 8 g/g) which increases the ability of the lotion to release from the wipe at the expense of a uniform distribution of moisture throughout a stack. In addition due to cost and environmental sustainability concerns, there is a need to further improve the absorbency capacity of wipes to enable better cleaning with less material without further compromising lotion release and other important properties such as tensile strength and protection.
Accordingly, there is a need for fibrous structures that exhibit a high degree of absorbency, coupled with barrier protection, sufficient lotion release for cleaning, stable moisture distribution and/or strength in use all while using less material.